Capo tasto



(No Model.)

, H. DAHLMAN.

GAPO TAST O. N0. 489,525. Patented Jan. 10, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FETCE.

HENRY DAHLMAN, OF CAMBRIDGE, MINNESOTA.

CAPO TASTO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,525, dated January 10, 1893.

Application filed May 19, 1892- Serial No 433,619- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern,-

Be it known that I, HENRY DAHLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Isanti andState of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Capo Tastos; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists in a new and improved capo tasto, for use on stringedmusical instruments, such as guitars, violins, &c., which is simple and durable in construction, can be quickly and conveniently placed and locked in position, and serves to uniformly hold quickly tighten, and shorten the vibration of the several strings on the neck of the instrument whenever it is desired to raise the tone of the instrument to a higher key.

The invention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which form a part of this specification, andin which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures;

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the device applied in operative position, the strings and neck of the instrument being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a side view of the device showing the clamping-arm thereof disengaged from the neck of the instrument; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

My improved capo tasto is formed with a plate A, provided at its under side with a cushion B, adapted to engage the strings 0 of the instrument to press the said strings firmly in place on top of the neck D in order to raise the tone of the instrument; the plate A, which is formed of spiing-metal, extending transversely across the neck of the instrument and having one of its ends, A, curved up over the top of the plate to a point above the center of the same, forming a spring, as shown. The end of this spring A is pivoted to one end of the transverse body F of a thumb-lever F, and the other end of the lever-body is pivoted to the upper end of a yoke G. This yoke G is preferably made U- shaped, so that it will extend around one side of the neck D to reach the under side of the same with its lower end; the lower end of the yoke being enlarged to form a seat for a cushion H, secured on top of this free end of the yoke and adapted to engage the under side of the neck D opposite the plate A, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

In order to clamp the device in place on the strings on the neck D, the operator takes hold of the lever F and moves the same downward in the direction shown by the arrow a, Fig. 1, so that the spring-plate A, A, will firmly press its cushion B against the strings O, the cushioned lower end H of the yoke G being at the same time firmly pressed against the under side of the neck D; so that when the capo tasto has been thus applied the tone of the instrument when played is raised according to the distance the capo tasto has been placed on the neck between the head and the bridge of the instrument. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that the pivot-points of the spring-arm A, the lever F, and the upper end of yoke G are so arranged with reference to each other that the spring A locks the lever in its closed position, thus holding the capo tasto securely in position on the instrument when once clamped or locked thereon by the operator. The yielding connection afforded by the spring-arm A of the plate serves to accommodate the cushioned plate A to the various sized strings of the instrument, so that the several strings are forced with equal pressure against the neck D, the said strings being thus equally tightened to produce tones of full and rich quality when the instrument is played.

To remove the capo tasto, it is only necessary .to swing the lever F back into the position shown in Fig. 2, when the plate A is raised and the device can be readily removed. The yielding connection afforded by the springarm A also permits the use of the capo tasto on instruments the necks of which vary in size. The free end of the plate A, opposite its spring-end, is preferably curved downward, so that it will fit over and around that edge of the neck D, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus effectually prevent the device being drawn to one side by the pull of the spring-arm A as the lever F is pressed down in locking the capo tasto on the neck D.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. A capo tasto comprising a cushioned plate adapted to extend across the strings on the neck of the instrument and formed with a spring-end curved upward over the top of the plate, a thumb-lever pivoted to said springend, and a yoke having a cushioned lower end adapted to engage the under side of the instrument neck and pivoted at its upper end to the thumb-lever; substantially as set forth.

2. A capo tasto comprising the cushioned plate formed with the spring-end curved and extending over its top to a point above its center, the thumb-lever pivoted to the end of said spring-arm, and the yoke having the cushioned lower end and pivoted at its upper 20 end to said thumb-lever; substantially as set forth.

3. A capo tasto comprising the cushioned plate formed with the downwardly-curved free end and with the spring-arm extending 2 5 upward over the top of the plate, the thumblever pivoted to the end of said spring-arm, and the yoke having the cushioned lower end adapted to engage the under side of the instrument neck and pivoted at its upper end 0 to the thumb-lever; substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY DAIILMAN.

Witnesses:

P. M. PETERSON, ANDREW DAHLMAN. 

